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1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vivienleigh.jpg]]
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3->''"I'm not a film star, I am an actress. Being a film star is such a false life, lived for fake values and for publicity."''
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5Vivien Leigh, born Vivian Mary Hartley (5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967) was an English stage and film actress. She is best known for her performances as {{southern belle}}s as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' and Blanche [=DuBois=] in the film version of ''Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire'', winning the Best Actress UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for both.
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7Leigh began her film career with ''Film/FireOverEngland'' in 1937. She was later chosen by Hollywood to be leading lady Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gone with the Wind'', and this performance made her become an American household name almost immediately. Despite the new hype and fame, she made a few appearances in films and mostly acted in theatre. In 1951, she starred alongside Creator/MarlonBrando in ''A Streetcar Named Desire'', which brought her back into the hype and critical praise that Scarlett O'Hara had given her years before. Both {{star making role}}s gave her some controversy, mostly because she was a FakeAmerican who had played iconic characters in American literature, which was a slight problem for her to appear in films after these performances without being type-casted as one or suffering from IAmNotSpock.
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9She didn't quite have the lengthy resumé other stars of her era did. This can be attributed to her health issues, both mental and physical. She suffered from both UsefulNotes/{{bipolar disorder}} (back then diagnosed as "manic-depression") and depression in a time when mental illness wasn't well-understood. Her mental illnesses often led to strained relationships with film crews and bipolar episodes behind the scenes, earning her a reputation as being an actor who was difficult to work with. She also caught tuberculosis during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and had recurrent flare-ups, leaving her bedridden and leading to an early death.
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11As well as her SouthernBelle films, Leigh is remembered for her marriage to her second husband Creator/LaurenceOlivier. The two of them frequently appeared together on stage (some directed by Olivier) and in three films. The marriage lasted for at least 20 years and was often strained because of Leigh's mental health. When Olivier was UsefulNotes/{{knight|fever}}ed in 1947, Leigh became Lady Olivier and was referred to this even after they divorced in 1960. Leigh died in 1967 from chronic tuberculosis at 53 years old.
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13Not related to Creator/JanetLeigh, who also used "Leigh" as a {{stage name|s}}.
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15!! Films with pages on TV Tropes:
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17* ''Film/FireOverEngland'' (1937) as Cynthia
18* ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' (1939) as Scarlett O'Hara
19* ''Film/TwentyOneDays'' (1940) as Wanda
20* ''Film/WaterlooBridge'' (1940 remake) as Myra Lester
21* ''Film/ThatHamiltonWoman'' (1941) as Emma, Lady Hamilton
22* ''Film/CaesarAndCleopatra'' (1945) as UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII
23* ''Literature/AnnaKarenina'' (1948) as Anna Karenina
24* ''Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire'' (1951) as Blanche [=DuBois=]
25* ''Film/TheDeepBlueSea'' (1955) as Hester Collyer
26* ''Film/ShipOfFools'' (1965) as Mary Treadwell
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28!!Portrayals in fictions:
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30* Played by Morgan Brittany in ''The Day of the Locust'' (1975), ''Gable and Lombard'' (1976) and ''The Scarlett O'Hara War'' (1980).
31* Played by Mel Martin in ''Darlings of the Gods'' (1989).
32* Played by Robin Trudeau in ''Brando Unauthorized'' (2011).
33* Played by Creator/JuliaOrmond in ''Film/MyWeekWithMarilyn'' (2011).
34* Played by Katie [=McGuinness=] in ''Series/{{Hollywood|2020}}'' (2020-).

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